New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-06
FREE 1R1DE FIGURES COMPARED.

Mr.. Moore reiterates his exceedingly stale and
always false assertion that "iOr the $780,
600. 900 customs revenue that goes into the
Treasury. you, my fellow-citizens pay at least
ST, ZOO, 000,0 600 into the pockets OF the monop-
olists every year. Then he prints figures
which show, he says, how frightfully w0rkmen
and others are burdened in purchasing the ne
cessaries of life. There persons who make
such assertions as this out of the depths
of their ignorance, not Intending 10
deceive nor having means readily to
correct their false notions Mr.. Moore
Is not one of these. He is a student of
statistics, and he knows better. What no says
in the words above quoted no well knows to
De not true. Moreover, it is known to be
untrue by free trade economists and even by
the very paper IN which Mr. Moores statement
is printed For in the same issue of The Ne'c-
York Times which contains Mr.. Moore's quoted
words there appears an editorial, saying:
Mr. Edward Atkinson has just made to the Bureau OF
Statistics "A report which he shows that the average
annual wages mechanics have advanced from SlGs In
1850 r72O In 1856 and that the difference In the pr
chasing power Of their wages Is even greater than these
figures would Indicate This difference he puts AT an al
vance In the purchasing power of the wages OF tho
skilled from 80 TO 100 per cent within the past
twenty years and In the ~ the unskcd lhhorcr
AT from 30 80 per cent within the same period These
conclusions Mr. Atkinson arrives AT with his usual care
They calculated To starte even those who thought
they had a tocraby accurate notion OF the industfi"
condition Of the country.
Mr.. Atkinson is IA Jealous free-tradcr, but no
tries to tell the truth. When he finds that the
consumers of this country actually pay less for
things consumed under the present protective
tariff than they paid under the last Democratic
revenue taril in 1850, he states the fact like
an honest man. The evidence lie presents Is
~ convincing that, though confcs,ing 1t Is
startling, The Nc,C- Iork Times considers it
conclusive. and edtoraly accepts Mr. Atkin-
sons results. The average mechanic supports
a family. If 81 900. 100000 were really paid
to monopolists in addition to $2O0,OOO,OOO
into the Treasury, that would average S2i
yearly for every person of the 5U,OOO,OOO
inhabitants, and $3.50 for every family of five
persons But Mr.. Atkinson declares that the
average annual wages of mechanics have not
only advanced 81 per cent, but the greater
cheapncss of things has virtually made the
increase from 26 to &c per cont more. That ia,
the things which the worker could buy in 1860
for bis average wages Of Sl6S he can now buy
for $500 to 1875. If Mr.. Moore were telling
ANYTHING like the truth, tho average mechanic
would be paying $l2O per year more Tor these
purchases to nonUpolists and the Government,
whereas he is paying $93 to STAG less than he
paid under the last Democratic tariff.
Ii is great mistake for the Free Traders to
harbor among them man who tells the truth.
Mr., Atkinson Is Objectionable. lie has
knocked the bottom out of moro Free Iraue
articles than Mr. Moore can write In decade,
by frankly admitting that Protection has not
raised prices but reduced them, so that the
mechanics wages will buy from 20 TO 10 per
cent more under Protection than the same
wages would buy under n revenue tarlif. III
Mr.. Moore answers that other things, not I'M
ported or Supplied by monopOlsts, have been
cheapened more than the COST of protected
articles has been enhanced, what becomes OF
the Free Trade pretence that the cost of every
thing has been increased by tho tariil And II
he finally claims that no only meant to say
that the cost of things purchased by the aver
age mechanic in 1860, which has now been re-
duced 1913 to SIG, would have been reduced
Sl2O more if it were not for the tariff, 1t Is his
business to prove it. One may point to the
statistics of the British Statistical Society,
which prove that the reduction in prices there
has not been in this measure or in any measure
greater than it has in this country. Another
improved assertion, from II man who Is already
shown to have made one assertion that is not
true would deserve little notice.